


Cave

by originofabsolution



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 10:26:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5582182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/originofabsolution/pseuds/originofabsolution
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'I am not a tax man, nor a man with money, I am a fraud.'<br/>Pirate AU, Prison AU. Set somewhere in 18th/19th Century London</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another fanfic, written on the side of my main ones.  
>  Enjoy! :)

All I wanted was the money. To get out of this wretched country. Jump aboard a ship and sail away from this depression. We were on the verge of revolution, which was driving me crazy. I had been waiting for a revolution since I entered my adolescence. But it never came. I was a tax man, worked my way up the chain to earn more. Wore an expensive suit, top hat, wielded a cane. Strolled the streets of London, looking into the mists of something new. I could have made it away from here. If I wasn’t so impatient. I took more money than I was meant to, from many, many people. It boosted my stash of money. But I wasn’t clever enough to keep it hidden. Soon my employer found out I had committed this crime, he alerted the police.

I am not a tax man, nor a man with money, I am a fraud.


	2. Chapter 2

Within a matter of days I had been through a trial. Which of course proved I was guilty. Now, I am on my way down to a cell in one of the main prisons in London. With a policeman’s hand on my shoulder guiding me around the twisting corridors. As I pass the small cells, I hear moans of starvation, screams of torture. I am starting to wonder what the hell I have gotten myself into. As the inmates hear our footsteps come down the corridors, they stick their hands through the bars. Trying to grab us, I stop in fear of these savage people. The policeman bellows at them to get back. They immediately scamper back into their places. I wonder what they have done to make them this obedient. On second thought, I would rather not wonder about that.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing a cell. You wouldn’t believe how much crime we have had to deal with this month! Don’t worry, we have allocated you to share with our least violent inmate.” The policeman says to me.

“If I may ask, what has he been charged with?” I ask. Continuing to walk forward.

“You have no right to speak! But as you have asked so nicely. He has been charged with pickpocketing, shipwreck stealing, poaching, treason and piracy. Quite a collection eh?” 

“So he is a pirate?” I say curiously.

“Was, a pirate. He is no longer on the open seas in here! Stop.” he orders. Letting go of my shoulder and moving to unlock the door. “Oh yeah, and you gotta watch this guy, he’s known for some homosexual tendencies. Have fun with that!” he opens the door and motions for me to step in. I follow his hand into the room, he shuts and locks the door behind me. I look around the darkened room, this one is different from the other cells that I saw on the way here. It is larger and is cut off from the rest of the cells by stone walls. There is a small window in one of the corners, bars pretty much cutting out all the light trying to get through. It is unsurprisingly cold in here. In the shadows of the room I see no signs of movement from the guy who is meant to be in here with me. Not even the slightest sound of breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hello?” I ask, hoping that this man would not jump out and attack me. I jump at the sound of feet shuffling in the corner, then possibly a bottle toppling over. A few seconds later an empty glass bottle rolls in my direction, stopping at my feet. Out of self defence, I grab it and hold it close to my chest, awaiting the man to step into the light.

As I expected, he slowly takes a step towards where I am stood, his figure half illuminated by the strengthening sunlight coming through the window. He honestly looks nothing like a pirate. He has short black hair, no beard, a generally feminine face and build. Other than his piercing blue eyes, nothing screams to me that he is dangerous. He is dressed in thin rags, stained with dirt and he wears a pair of those proper pirate boots. They don’t go well with the rags, quite a large comparison.

He says nothing, looking up and down at my clothes. Which is a suit. One that I have worn for many years. He just stares at my suit before raising his eyes to my face, to which he seems to be analysing everything about me. Somehow.

He steps further forwards, towards me. I hold out the bottle to defend myself, just incase. His eyes seem rather unsettling. He continues walking forwards until the bottle I hold is close to his face. He lifts his arm and takes hold of the bottle removing it from my hand, before throwing it at a wall behind him.

“Hello.” he says with a croaky voice. He coughs, putting his hand over his mouth. “Blimey.” he coughs once more, before removing his hand. “Ah that’s better!” he exclaims with a softer voice than before. “I haven’t spoke in weeks, didn’t realise it could do that to you.” he seemingly talks to himself. “I’m Matt!” he exclaims putting out his hand for me to shake. I warily shake it, not trusting him.

“My name is Dominic.” I say, forcing a smile. He lets go of my hand and laughs.

“So, Dommy. What are you doing here?” he starts pacing around the room. 

“Fraud. I was a tax collector. Got too greedy.” I say simply, not wanting to explain.

“That it?” he asks surprised. He walks quickly towards me. “Well I guess you will be staying here for a while. Let me give you a tour. Follow me.” he says. I follow him around the room, to the corner where the glass had shattered. “This is my bed.” he points at the dark area.

“I can’t see anything…” I say looking at him.

“Hold on.” he goes into the dark corner. A few seconds later he lights up the area with a match. His bed is just a battered mattress on the floor, with no blankets or anything. The mattress is surrounded by many empty glass bottles. “Your area is over here!” he says excitedly taking one step to the other corner of the room. He points at a clean, almost new mattress on a steel bed frame, with 3 blankets covering it and a pillow. “Let me get some candles.” he talks to himself walking back to his area, then coming back with some small candles. He places some around my bed and on a shelf area above it. I wonder why he is being so helpful, I guess this is what solitude does to you…

“S-so what do you think?” he asks looking at me with a childlike expression. “I got them to get you the best sleeping stuff, as you are higher class.” 

“Why?” I ask, really confused why an ex-pirate would do that for me before I even arrived.

“I felt like you would be a really grouchy roommate if you were constantly sleeping in a horrible bed.” he says twiddling his thumbs.

“Ah, okay. Thank you. I think this is very nice!” I say sitting on my bed, admiring the scent of the candles.

“Great!” he exclaims. Before grabbing some more candles and placing them all around the room, lighting everywhere.


	4. Chapter 4

For the remainder of the day, we spent in silence. With the exception of Matt occasionally talking to himself. I would really like to ask him some questions about his crimes. As I have never encountered a pirate before, I am curious. 

At the moment he is sitting on his bed, trying to tower the bottles onto each other. 

"How long have you been in here?" I ask. He knocks down the bottles, and stands up. Then he dramatically walks over and sits on my bed beside me. 

"2 weeks, I think." He says. Only that long? By his state of mind, you would think that he had been here for months. "I suppose you have more questions?" He asks giving me the chance to ask about anything at all. 

"Well I have never met a pirate before, so I was wondering if you could tell me a bit being one." I ask warily. Wondering if he would be open enough to talk about it. 

"You want to know about my life?" He pauses "Well, what have I got to lose. I will tell you!" He pauses again.

"As a child, I grew up in the east of the country, in the countryside. But I got bored. So when I became 15 I left home to go to the coast. There I lived on the streets for a while, until everyone stopped looking for me. During that time I earnt money by pick pocketing rich people, like yourself. And poaching. Then selling the meat on the black market. But all that changed when there was a pirate invasion in the small town in which I was now living. They stupidly left the ship unattended, so I snuck aboard and faked being part of the crew. Eventually after I had killed off the people in higher ranks than me, I became captain! I gathered quite a good crew of men. All of them doing whatever I wanted. I got quite a name for myself out there. We conquered many other ships, stole their treasure and sink them. All that came to an end when we decided to go steal something... more valuable." He says dramatically with hand gestures. 

"What?" I say intrigued. 

"Ehh, only the jewels from Windsor castle. Not very interesting." He says. 

"You tried to steal from the King!?" I exclaim.

"Not tried to, we did steal from the King! Those jewels are now on my ship under the protection of my most trusted colleague." He says proudly. 

"So how did you end up here, but the rest got away?" I ask curiously. 

"Honestly. I don't know. It was all such a blur."

"Wow. That is quite a story to tell!" I conclude his explanation.  

"I suppose..." He says getting up off of my bed and heading back over to his mattress. 


End file.
